Ice cream cutting machine



NOV. 24, 1931. J, SCHULTZ I I 1,833,266

ICE CREAM CUTTING MACHINE Filed May 5. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheer l J. SCHULTZICE CREAM CUTTING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1950 2 -Sheets-$heet Z 4 do 47 Kl atented Nov 2 4, 19 3l i r Joint. semi-"rs, or cmxmtim g q I a Thisinvention relates to icecream cutting machines; Inthe manufacture oflcecreamj confections such as chocolate or candy covered icecreambriquettes and the like, economical practicerequires that the icecreamfirst be frozen in veryahard'long slabs of comparativelylargecrosssectio nal area.

V small briquettes of the desired size foit'coat': ing. The stripsthusprepared must be sized These blocks, while still 'very hard,- must hecut into strips of proper dimensions for feed ing'zinto the cutting andcoatingwmachines, which in turn cut them transversely to .form

to within comparatively narrowlimits for efficient operation of the 1cutting and-coat ing machines Further they shouldbekept hard andunbroken, or a greatEWaSt-eofmas terial results. I

. The machines now usedforcuttingisthe large slabs into stripsaredesigned lL YBII- close the slab and'zembrace'its flatjsurfacjes againstlateral distortion; As Ia result the slabs must be inserted by hand, anoperation that is ,not only diificult but is, undesirable from ahygienic-standpoint. 1 a I Another clifficulty encountered Lin theinseof suchmachines resultsfromthe increase in cross sectional areaoftheblock, dueto' slight variations; in temperature. Qu-ite often suchan increase in sizemakes it inn possible to insert the slabinthemachine.

7 If the slab becomes somewhat soft, .this1operation is increasinglydifficult andbreakage.

or'otherclistortion of the slab results. l When a slab of -icecream issoienclosed it strikes the confining walls of the container of thecuttingmachineand tends to adherethereto and develops a very highcoetficient of friction opposing longitudinal movement 7 ofthe slabthrough the machine, 7 ,Thepower requiredato overcomethese frictionalforces is extremely great and tendsto breakdown the crystallineformation of the frozen slab and iextrucle it as; a semiplastic; mass 5rather than as a firm hardstrip g l 1. 1

under varying temperature conditions." j r the rnold. I a

J iFig. 2 is a crossse'ctionalf,

Fu rther, since the slab a evenly, it tends to swell after-it leavesthef l confining o an h v pas ed h r-ckn ves-fi This swelling isuneve'nzandthe strip's' so' cut, I V

vary in size and are unsuitablefor- 5Q fact-ure of the final p'ro'duct,Wh Ph niust be] i i ot bj c ofmy' nv n in' s to slim nate the necessityof touching the;s trip. wit the hands, by providinga machine into which,the slab can easilyx be dropped.directly-front Another object of-myna't'e bucklingor breakingof the slab during the cutting operation andto cut itintostrip s I without disturbing the crystalline formation; 7'A'more specific object of my inventionisj tO accomplishthesearesultsfby; ag-machine which may readilybe'constructedfromjeasilyobtainable material, and ,WhiQh is extremelyg simple in operation, rwherebythe workman his hands to the machineitselfl-Y 'Another objectofv' my invention such amac'hinein a form in whichthejworking parts iareprotected from the, melting ices cream, and in which thosepartswhichcome in contact with 1 the a icecream may be easily removed andcleaned 'o'r sterilized. l Other objects and advantages will become,

apparent from the following description; in

- which referencenumerals are usdrto denote the same parts'in di-iferentview ss. '1

Fig, 1 represents a elevationofa ting-machine embodying invinvention, gof the; casin g being removed for clearnessl of illustration.

Wta

the plane indicated on jthelinefi a-gof Fig. Y s My, invention.includesa frame-41, upon handling the Qicecream does not have to touch;

which is inounted'ja reciprocating table 2,

i driven frorn asuitable source, such as a mo-r tor 3 through aselective powertransmission. 'later to be'described. The. frame 1 preferably comprises a metal top 4, having. in

tegral sidewalls 5 to protect the driving mechanism. The otop 4o isindented longitudinally along its central portion to form i 'fSup I a'ross'thej gpathof movementof the table 2' port the tablej2$ I 1 a slidewayfi, in which the table 2 may reciprocate. Along the walls of theslideway are rollers, such as 8 and 9 toslidably sup tei'iaL. Tor'eta'in the" table i n contact with r the driving nie'cha'nisin, astrip 16' is pro; vid'edo lithtbottom face thereof and extendsheyondthedepressed portionso as to forrn "-fatrack uncl er the rollers,as'at 17 and 18. 1 V

' ip orted" on jthe top .4 of the frame "1 V a-re a plurality of cuttingknives; Since the Y t Strip- 55 usualiprajctice is to'cut the slabs intofour haw tlie-"cutting edge ofeach sed tion' rof" the-horizontal knife"slopes toward the intersection; away from the direction 'ofmoveinent-ofthe'tahle'2 on' i ts cutting stroke.

The cutting" ,edge "off the Vere cal knifeslopes Thustlieflateralthrust"ofthe horizenmi 'kn ves"loalance each other (andthat" of the 7 vertical knifetends to hold the T'slah'against'the-title. rhissrrangemnt of knives'tends v to r'eta-in" tlie -slabcentrally of the table 2.

45 o e e i into a longitudinal; slot -;22'. in the reciprocat-i Thelovver of the. :vertical 'knif'e extends ingta'ble 2/ It should henoted'that this'slot 1 {doesot extend *throu gh the 'tahle 'so thatanvinelted"material-is retainedjin the table and fthe driving'melchanism shield'edi (Po properly size the slfabspas's'in'g throughtheknives,i-ai sizing knife'23 having an apron 24 is secured-to thetable 'top 4 in front of I th 'icutting knives a'nd' adjusted-to thedesiredgheight: j Excessv material cut ofl-T, from thea slah'y is pushedontoftheapron 24 and acan be collec'ted for suhsequent'use. At one rendof the table 2 secured apushingblock' I 25" of substantiallythe sainewidth ai s the 7 1 and hojr izontally' asi 26" and'j27 soith atit'spushing surface ma pass a suhstantia'li tanc eyondfthe"cutting' knivesfjgii 28 provided hehind theknives, to retain the out inpo i tio channelof phiab1g-25atind slotted vetticiiiuy s a; for illustration; a hori-fOia'nd a'L- verticalknife- 21 intrally. In order to obtain a stroke.

Jan

Eflicient outting of the slahscan he ac; complished when the table2. isdriven at a steady,- even-speecL-and to obtain the result,t;

I preferto use mechanical power." On'the underside of the table 2 isalongitudinal; rack 30, driven by a pinion 31, rotatably mountedinbrackets 32 and'33 I suspended V from ,theund'ei'side of the tabletop4. Bo

tatably mounted at one end in one of the is side Walls 5 -and at the'otherend in-the brackets 32 and 33 is a main driving shaft 34. Rigidwiththe -,shaft'---34 is a gear 35 Which engagesa Worm gear, 36 fordri'vingly connecting the shaft 34 and motor 3. Rigid-' 1y mounted :0nthe shaft 34, intermediate the brackets"32and33; is a spur gear 37.Carried ,o;n---the:shaft 34 between each of the brackets andtlie spurgear 37 areplate's 38 and;3 9. ,Ihese plates are rockably mounted infixed axial position Ontheshaft 34 and are in fixed spaced relation' 'toeach other;

Mounted in and between/the plates 38 and 3.9 are aplurality o-fcoinplementarlyv spur gears 40,415a1id42; laThegears 40 ;and 42'Jare-incOnstant mesh withv the gear 37-andj gears 41 a'11d;42 arelikewis'ezin'constantmesh with each other. flhese gearsare'positionedsoa's to be selectively engageablewith the pint ion 3 las'theplates 38 and 39 are1noved from the extreme right to the extreme leftposition. v

As theplates=38iand 39 '-are;' placed in positio'nintermediatetheseeirtremepositions,looth- :the gears "41 and 4Q are out-of im'esh Withthef pinion 31 and the driving nechanism is in lneutral;- desired; thejplates 38: and 39 may rhe'separatedagreaterdistance andagear42a largerithangearI42'iand rotatable-With gear421011 the same shaft "maybe provided" for I causing the table 'toxmov'e fasteron the return the pinion 31 and gear 42a,lwhich would thu sbe oifsetax'ially fromthe pinion;

ln -olderlto retainbthe plates 38 and anyone 3 of the threegivenpositions snap locks 43 and-44 carried on suitable arms 45 I Inf suchcase -the -gear 41 could fhe Wide'mejd and reduced so astdlproperlyzenga'ge andwlfiaonithe brackets 32'and 33 are provided:

These snaplocksareadapted to engage a pin rigidin'the lowerprojections'47 and48 ofthe plates 38 and'39 respective1yf I 115 To'rende-rthe actionof the: locks more-easily V 0perab'le,-a=roller 49 may be mounted on thet pinhetween" the lower projections of the plates 38 and 39: 7 The snaplocks 43 and '44 are provided with a' spring 50 which holds 7 themnormally ins-horizontal position but'al l'ovvsfthemftoiresilientlyengagethe roller 49 To render the {machine semiautomatic,

lugs 51 and- 52 carrying suitable roller; cone tactsl '53 and 54; aremounted Lon the lower si'dej 'ofl thftable '2; EUpwarfd-ily projectingiiinri's'-'5-5 and are'provided on' the plates 39 7 38 respectively and1 are of ithe', proper shape?ana 'sizetha the projection 55 is en;

gaged by the ro1ler 53 as "thetable 'moyeson' the cutting stroke andjthe I upwardly 15156; jecting arm 56' is engaged by theroller on thereturn stroke. I The engagement between these rollers and the projectingarms tilts the :plate toineutral position at the'end of the cutting;stroke and at the end-of thevreturnstroke. Mounted in one of the walls5=and in the bracket 32 is a shaft57 provided with a-crank 59 outside ofthe frame of the machine. This shaftcarries a lever arm -58 having,a pin60 engaging the plate 39. The-gearing mechanism may be selectivelyshifted so as to be driven in either direction by throwing the platesfrom neutral position by means of a crank 59 on the shaft 57. Since thisshift is accomplished by merely swinging the crank in a single plane,the

; operator can start or stop the machine-by required to grasp it in hishands.

merely pushing against the crank and is not In the operation of thismachine, the molded slab is dropped directly from themold, withouthandling, onto the. reciprocating table 2. Since the side walls 10 and11 of the table 2 are of very limited height, the slab will slip easilyinto place between them. Power is then applied and the cable carriestheslab through the cutting knives, the block 25 retaining it inlongitudinal position on the table. The side walls 10 and 11 are of justsufficient height to keep the block aligned on the table,'yet allow itto spread freely'lat- V er'ally as the strips cuttherefrom are forcedapart. by the knife blades. Frictional resistance to'the movement of theslab due to confining its flat surfaces is eliminated. The excessmaterial due to swelling or 1rregularthat the tendency of the strips toseparate,"

due to the wedging action of the knives, is not impeded.

To further reduce the frictional forces, the cutting edge of thehorizontal knife should slope upwardly from the'botom side of the knife.In thismanner the lower half of the strip is not compressed as it passesthe knife,

and upper half is free to move upwardly from'theknife. I V I V By properadjustment of, the helght. of the sizing knife relative to that of thehorizontal cutting knife, slabs may be cut into stripslof the samecrosssectional dimensions.

The guide 28 is provided with an apron having an upturned end whichresiliently engages the cut strips and urges them lightly togethe'rafter they have been Ispreadv apart vertically. by the cutting. knives,thus ,retaining the :s'tripsinalignment;with a neg amountoffrictional-resistance.

a 1 Experience has proven that a machine cone v structed' in" accordancef'with f this invention ligible Y wi'llcutslabsof varyingfdegrees ofrigidity without buckling or fracturing of the crys tallinestructur'efiand operates'on a verysmall amount of power,iandsubs'equentswelling or breaking of thetcutastrips is. eliminated.

' l Furthermore, the working'parts are well protected from themeltedlmaterial and the material itself does [not have to'be touchedbyhuman hands. I Again, as aresult' ofusing 80. mechanicalpo'wer:theslabgis carried evenly throughjthe knives and will not tend tofreeze or adhere thereto as would be the case were its progress thereacross temporarily stopped or slowed "down," as when manually operated.While -I' have described-aform of; my invention which has provedvery'satisfactory,

I do not intend to limitthespecific arrange-f ment herein described,butintend to include all 1 reasonable :niodifications embodying theiprincipleslls'et?forth.-

I claimp ine,

LA machine. for cutting icecreamisl'abs" lnto strips' neluding a-fraine,a r-eciprocat ing tablepc arried by*=sa1d. frame, cutting knives inthe-path of movement of said table; a

a a horizontal trimmingknife in spaced rela;, tion to .said tablein-lfronta of said cutting knives, a guide behind-and in spacedrelationto said cutting knives,- means to; drive" said "table,' said mean-sincluding a source] of; power and; a gear train, a lever for selective?ly engag ng predetermined; gears ofwsald train'to JmOve saidtableinfoppositeTdirec tions',means carriejdby saidtable toshift fsaidjgea'rs into idlingfposition to stop the 1 movement ofsaid table.

A machinefor' cuttingiicecream slabs i into strips, includingareciprocating table,

a pluralityjof cutting knives in spacedrelationto said table across thepath of movementithereof, as'upportingframe for said table,a.. rackcarriedby said table, a pinion carried by'said frame'engageabletherewith,

a rotatable shaft carriediby said frame,a gear on said shaft rigidtherewith, a: tiltable plate on said shaft, aplurality of gearsrotatablymounted on said plate and engage;

able with said gear and adapted for engagement and disengagement, withsaid pinion as'said'plate is tilted about said axis, lugs en-f gageablewithsaid plate consequent upon the movement of said table-for renderingsaid gears idle, and-locks carried by said frame} 9 retain saidrg earsin predetermined posir 3.. 'A machine. for; cutting" icecream' slabs ifint-'ostrips, comprising a frame, a-reciprocat- -ing :table carried onsaid frame, a plurality of knives; carried by;said' frame, saidjknives.

